Today’s world is governed by technology
and the internet. Their influence is so far-reaching that it has also gripped
the hearts and minds of children. And, although this new tech age has great
possibilities and immense wealth in knowledge being widely available, it also
poses a threat to the new generations. Nowadays, children spend even more time
in front of the screen than they should. Even though it is not an altogether
bad thing, parents must still be aware of their kids’ cyber activity. In
creating a safe and healthy online experience, parents will protect their
children and influence their development.
Getting
Involved
By choosing to spend time on the computer
with their children, parents will increase time spent bonding with them and
also have a chance to monitor their activity. Subtly implementing their
presence, they can influence the child’s whereabouts online and restrict their
overall digital usage. This serves as an excellent parental supervision technique.
Not only does it provide indirect control, making sure children are safe, but it
secures a fun and healthy environment for them. While parents have the added
joy of getting to know their child’s interests from an early age, it ultimately
means that kids will enjoy their cyber time and learn that parental presence is
a good thing.
Proper
Education
Properly teaching your kids how to use the
computer and internet is truly vital. Children are in nature very curious and
as great as this is, it can be a problem on the internet. Parents should
immediately add and explain the rules, such as never giving out personal
information on the web. But, parents should never directly restrict content.
They should provide ample ways of satisfying their curiosity. This can easily
be done by implementing new content once in a while and turning everything into
a task game. When the child views it as a game, it will be more interested. Also, it provides the opportunity to systematically
learn and progress. As a result, the child will view this as a challenge and become
more focused in excelling and getting the reward at the end. This makes for a great
way of teaching them the values of consistency, perseverance, and
concentration.
Child-Proofing
Your Technology
Another important fact is the technology
itself. Parents should always have in mind that their child is using the
computer. Making the computer child-safe is as essential as making sure sharp
objects and chemicals are out of their reach. In order to do this, parents will
have to add anti-virus software, block pop-ups, and adjust privacy settings to
make a safe, child-proof
environment. Also, parents will have to make their own content unreachable,
or even have a separate children’s computer in order to this.
Fun
and Games
Even though computer and video games are
considered entertainment, they should also be used to improve your children’s
minds. Most computer games can help in child development (most notably reflexes),
response time, and hand-eye coordination. But, some are even more beneficial.
Computer games like online
Sudoku games help a child acquire higher cognitive and logical thinking, memory
games help with long and short term memory, and word games aid in developing
language skills. These games are not only useful and interactive. They are an
ideal opportunity for parents to play with their children. But, most
importantly, parents should always be present. Making sure that video games
have a limited time in a child’s day-to-day activities is very important. In
addition, making sure your children play the right kind of video game is
essential as well. Unlike the previously mentioned games, some games initiate
violent and aggressive behavior in children. Also, research shows that such
games can also lead
to addiction. So, parents should never use video games as an excuse from
parenting, but a fun way for their child to grow and develop.
With technology and the internet becoming a
major part of their world, parents should open their children up to it. But, by
implementing safety strategies like these, they can secure a safe and healthy environment
even online. Not only that, but by opening a child to the right kind of
content, parents will open their child to an entirely new world of
knowledge. In the end, both children and
parents can safely have fun and develop their relationship online.
About author:
Tracey Clayton is a full time mom of three girls. She loves cooking, baking, sewing, spending quality time with
her daughters and she’s passionate for writing. Her motto is: “Live the life
you love, love the life you live.” Find her on Facebook.
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